Where Is It?

[Michael]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...

OK, here is what I worked with this afternoon.
Nice neighborhood, well maintained lawns.
Street is not a main thrufare, need repair.
Compass shows SW angle, road and rails probably North/South.
I looked all over your back yard, Port Huron.
Nothing else to go by.

Can we have another hint or two?

I'm thinking Monroe but I have no idea where.

[AARR]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...

OK, here is what I worked with this afternoon.
Nice neighborhood, well maintained lawns.
Street is not a main thrufare, need repair.
Compass shows SW angle, road and rails probably North/South.
I looked all over your back yard, Port Huron.
Nothing else to go by.
Can we have another hint or two?

I'm thinking Monroe but I have no idea where.

You may be right, Michael. There was a line that came into Monroe from Lenawee Jct and went across Monroe to where the DTE power plant is now. The track remains from NS across CN to the power plant but everything west of that point is gone. Perhaps its that line as it went through downtown Monroe.

[James Sofonia]

Monroe makes me think of the interurban that ran thru there. I looked for it, but no find yet.

[MQT1223]

Rail to Trails

The Dequindre Cut.

You got it Max. Did you recognize it or just a guess?

Recognized it. I've never been down it but I don't know of any Rails to Trails that goes under that many bridges in such a short distance. Plus the lines in the pavement gave it away. Former GT line I believe. I've studied this line before. I think it was an early grade separation project. Most of the bridges over the ROW I think are original and are part of a bridge registry by the state that makes them too old to replace unless they are too far gone. It's been a while since I looked at all of this in detail so that's why I'm not 100% sure if my information above is correct.

[MQT1223]

Although the above location has been found already, here are three other pictures I took the other day from various locations around this area if anyone was curious. I'm not sure if anyone on here has ever been back here much but it is fairly easy if you know how to get in from the north side of I-196.



Another picture from just north of Lamar. Behind me is a thicket that makes the ROW up to Lamar basically impassable. I wouldn't go any closer to Lamar anyway; going beyond the big "CSX TRANSPORTATON NO TRESSPASSING" sign is my #1 rule back here.



A view from the heavily overgrown north side of the overpasses. Just behind me the grade levels out in preparation to cross the river. The grade is very high up to keep it above the Grand River floodplain. This area is full of highway trash and other things people have dumped in here over the years.



From the opposite side of the grade from the above picture. In the warmer months, you cannot even see the overpasses with the amount of foliage back here and the bugs will eat you alive, so this is the ideal time to be back here.

I'm assuming Indian Mounds Drive was put in after the rails were abandoned because its very evident that road crews paved over whatever rail was left leading up to the bridge.

[MQT1223]

And I will also contribute another mystery location to this thread as well, and I think that this picture has enough clues in it.

[J T]

And I will also contribute another mystery location to this thread as well, and I think that this picture has enough clues in it.

Easy...along Wealthy Street. That was part of an old spur of some sort.

[Clay320]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...

Is it on the SMRS line?

It is "near" the SMRS line, keep guessing

[MQT1223]

And I will also contribute another mystery location to this thread as well, and I think that this picture has enough clues in it.

Easy...along Wealthy Street. That was part of an old spur of some sort.

To be honest I'm not sure at all what it was originally a part of. If you look above this area on Google Maps it looks like a Wye. The Kent Trails behind the Coke Plant, The former mainline at Padnos, and the Swing Bridge over the Grand River/Market St. I could be totally wrong though, does anyone have any insight to this? Maybe JT can do one of his famous screenshots to help us out.

Here is the unedited photo...

[

[Michael]

[AARR]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...
Is it on the SMRS line? It is "near" the SMRS line, keep guessing

Is it the old DT&I line in Tecumseh?

[Michael]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...
Is it on the SMRS line? It is "near" the SMRS line, keep guessing

Is it the old DT&I line in Tecumseh?

You got it AARR. Right on Cummins Street.
Most of the old line is a path except the part going east west on Cummins Street.

[James Sofonia]

Most of this was accidentally ripped out by a city contractor, leaving about 2 blocks of rail...

You got it AARR. Right on Cummins Street.
Most of the old line is a path except the part going east west on Cummins Street.

Nice slice of history Michael. I see If you follow with Google Earth you can find a few other locations of rails and ties, and about a mile East of your location the bridge over the Raisin River is still standing. This is best viewed with Bing Birdview Maps.

[AARR]

Nice slice of history Michael. I see If you follow with Google Earth you can find a few other locations of rails and ties, and about a mile East of your location the bridge over the Raisin River is still standing. This is best viewed with Bing Birdview Maps.

Is this the answer to Michael's 2nd picture

[James Sofonia]

Newaygo?

[MQT1223]

Newaygo?

I don't think it would be Newago, that bridge is higher, unless there is another bridge I'm not familiar with.

[Saturnalia]

Newaygo? Haha...NO!!

Bridge there is a truss, 3x as long, and much farther from the road. River is so much more open. Only similarity here is a road near the RR bridge. Similarities end there.

[Michael]

I will mentioned that the bridge photo I posted is not too far from the old DT&I bridge that PIxl posted and is no longer in use, nor is the line it was on.

[James Sofonia]

I will mentioned that the bridge photo I posted is not too far from the old DT&I bridge that PIxl posted and is no longer in use, nor is the line it was on.

Michael,

Thank you for that tidbit of information, but it still took me all afternoon (as if I have anything else to do). I finaly stopped following roads and railroads, and instead started looking at every bridge crossing rivers. You photo is in Petersburg at the former Lake Shore & Michigan.



This is the former bridge in Petersburg of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, which ran between Monroe and Adrian. The line was pulled up here in 1975, but the bridge still stands. 2003 photo. [Dale Berry]

[Michael]

I find the history of these old lines a lot more interesting than the present day lines.....although someday they will be history too I suppose